298 



Charles, Lord Stourton, fyc. 



And yff hit be so, truly I shall content myselfe without desert t : and think myself 

 to lose a frynd which is not worthe the fyndyng. Therfor as I have sayd 

 hertofor, yff you lyste to use me as your neyghber you may so fynde me, yff not 

 1 can say no more, but that Hartgyll's losse wylbe your gayn. Syr, I have send 

 you by this bearer xl s , that is to say from Myghellmas to Our Lady day : 

 trustyng that you wyll not so moche neglecte my pour good wyll as to lose hit 

 for Hartgyll's lyes and nead full flatery. This fare your well. From Stourton 



" Yo r frynd 



Caroll Stoueton." 



" To my frynd Syr John Thine." 



In the next letter, to Sir John Thynne, W. Hartgill complains 

 not of Lord Stourton but of a party of Somersetshire gentlemen 

 (all however Stourton-ites) trespassing, as he maintains, in pursuit 

 of deer, upon the Lord Protector's ground, and destroying certain 

 fences newly erected. It is probable that such alleged trespasses 

 were committed not out of a mere riotous spirit, but, (as appears 

 from various documents of this period relating to the borders 

 of Somerset arid Wilts) for the purpose of asserting some presumed 

 right to hunt within the bounds of the old Forest of Selwood. 

 The forest extended into both counties and its bounds were fre- 

 quently a subject of dispute, and not unfrequently of litigation. 



(No. 32.) 1549, July 3. W. Hartgill to Sir John Thynne. {Original at 

 Longleat.) 



" My dewtie humble rememberd. It may please you to understand that 

 sethens ( since ) Trenytie Sonday last past, in my being above ( sic ), Sir Thomas 

 Horner, John Horner the yonger, Phelyp Horner, - Roger Basynge, Roger 

 Mawdeleyne and others, to the nomber of four-score persons, too sundre tymes 

 cam in to my Lord's Grace's frehay of the Holtt and there kylled above ten 

 dere that were scene, and, besydes that, for dyspleasure pulled up my Lord's 

 Grace's new hedges and dytches that was by hys Grace's comaun dement lately 

 made in many sondre places, mowche prejudycyally, and dyd sey to my ser- 

 vaunts that met with them, that they wull hunt there and in Bradley woodds 

 all tymes at theire pleasure, wosoever wull say nay, and as it is reported the 

 next weke they wull be there agayne with an hundrethe copulls of hounds. 

 And also in the tyme affore-mencyoned Edward Mompesson, Yyneent Mom- 

 pesson and other of my Lord's Grace's tenaunts of Mayden Bradley, bothe by 

 day and nyght, have constantly hunted and kylled many dere with crossebowys, 

 your gentle former letters for the reformacion therof in tyme past notwith- 

 standing. I pray you let me know my Lord's Grace's plesure as concerning 

 the same ; wheder I shall suffer them so to do herafter, and this I pray Jesu 

 preserve you. In hast from Kylmington the iij rd of July, by your assured 



" Hartgill." 



" To the right worshipfull Sr. John Thynne, 

 Knyght, be this delyvered," 



